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Buying a home isn't just about bedrooms and bathrooms; it also involves deciding what kind of lifestyle you want to live. Do you want to take public transit to work? Walk to neighborhood shops and restaurants? Live near a park? Start by exploring neighborhoods. This will help you get a feel for the specific community and pinpoint the areas you like. Our neighborhood information gives you lifestyle information including walkability and transit scores, dining rates, commute time, as well as housing information. I invite you to contact me and I can walk you through the process, step-by step, and help you find the home that's right for you.

Home Buying Process

Step 1 — Get pre-approved for a mortgage

Once you're ready to buy a home, it's essential that you first get pre-approved for a mortgage loan. Going through the pre-approval process means your lender has reviewed your financial status by verifying your income and debt status. Once you've completed the pre-approval process, your lender will be able to tell you with confidence just how much house you can afford to buy based on the loan amount for which you qualify. Don't confuse the pre-approval process with a pre-qualification, which will simply ballpark how much you can you afford to spend based on unverified income and debt estimates.

Step 2 — HOW TO DETERMINE YOUR OFFER PRICE AND TERMS

Everyone wants the best possible terms when purchasing a home. However it's not always easy determining how much to offer, especially in the face of constantly changing market conditions. I can help you craft a reasonable offer -- I know what takes to get an offer accepted. I will review a range of factors including the number of for-sale homes competing for your offer, the terms sellers look for in a clean offer, and any additional terms that are likely to appeal to a specific seller. Whether the market favors buyers or sellers, there are comparable market data and fluctuating contractual terms that I will be able to analyze in order to help you craft and submit the winning offer!

Step 3 — SUBMITTING AN OFFER

A real estate purchase offer is a legally binding contract that a homebuyer uses to make an offer on a property. It is a document that contains information about the purchase transaction and the homebuyer's rights and obligations. The primary elements of the purchase offer include the offer price, down payment, earnest money deposit, and contractual dates that stipulate when the transaction will close and how many days the buyer has to meet certain conditions including the property inspection, appraisal and loan periods. Within the purchase offer, you will also commit to various additional details including escrow costs, real estate transfer taxes and if any local point of sale ordinances will be paid. Once I make an offer on your behalf to the seller's agent, we will determine whether a counter offer is needed to negotiate a final agreement.

Step 4 — The Closing Process

Once your offer has been accepted and your inspections completed, we will attend the closing, or settlement. The closing is the legal transfer of ownership from the seller to you. The title or escrow officer will prepare the HUD-1 Settlement Statement, which outlines all of the costs for both the buyer and the seller. We will schedule a walk-through of the home 24 hours prior to closing to ensure that any agreed-to repairs have been made and that the home is in the condition outlined in the contract. If the property does not meet the agreed-to terms, we can delay the closing or request money from the seller to fix any issues. Once the property meets final approval, you will be given the keys to your new home!

Get Pre-Approved

For many, purchasing a home can feel like a daunting prospect, but it does not have to be. Guild Mortgage is committed to simplifying the loan process and helping guide you through a smooth transaction.

Our mortgage partner Guild Mortgage offers the power and resources of a mortgage banker with in-house underwriting and funding, plus the product diversity of a broker. Each Lyon office has a Guild Mortgage loan consultant onsite, making it easy to meet and move forward with financing your home. Click below to find out more about home loan options or to get pre-approved.